Method and system for collecting, transmitting, editing and integrating, broadcasting, and receiving signal

ABSTRACT

Embodiments of present invention provide a method and system for collecting, transmitting, editing and integrating, broadcasting, and receiving signals. The method comprises acquiring one and/or more audio signals and one and/or more video signals for the one program collected by one and/or more audio and video collection terminals; editing and integrating the one and/or more audio signals and the one and/or more video signals for the one program on a network platform, and then broadcasting; selecting among the one and/or more audio signals and the one and/or more video signals for the one program at a receiving terminal, and receiving the selected audio signal and video signal.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of a U.S. application Ser. No.13/995,570 filed on Jun. 19, 2013, that claims the right of priority ofChinese patent application No. 201110002782.9, filed to the ChinesePatent Office on Jan. 7, 2011, entitled “Method and System forCollecting, Transmitting, Editing and Integrating, Broadcasting, andReceiving Signal”, which is hereby incorporated by reference in itsentirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of multimedia technology, andmore particularly, to a method and a system for collecting,transmitting, editing and integrating, broadcasting, and receivingsignals.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Traditional television video and audio acquisition, production andbroadcasting include nothing more than the following two patterns,namely a live broadcast pattern whereby signals are transmitted in realtime, and a recorded broadcast pattern whereby signals are firstlyproduced and subsequently transmitted.

For the real-time live broadcast pattern, it is required to rent inadvance such a transmission line as the microwave line, or the satelliteline, or the fiber line. Due to factors such as restriction and cost ofthe transmission line, it is usual to firstly transfer respectivesignals from various cameras on the field into a mobile control roomwhere the multiple signals are switched to/synthesized as a singleprogram by a program director, and then transmit the single program viathe transmission line to television stations as contents to bebroadcasted. This puts great restrictions on the live broadcast directorwithin a station during shot transitions. Although the transmission costis reduced, the following deficiencies are inevitably engendered.Firstly, the materials for program are greatly wasted and quality ofprograms is badly affected. Secondly, it is not only required to deploythe mobile control room but also required to equip therewith a largenumber of maintenance personnel, so the overall cost is stillsignificant. Thirdly, with respect to the audience, it is only possibleto watch the produced single program, thus losing the opportunity topersonalize their own program. In order to avoid the deficiency of theaforementioned live broadcast pattern, it is usual for televisionstations to rent more transmission lines to provide directors within thestations with more materials. Although this enables more comprehensivereflection of the circumstances of the scenes and enhances the qualityof programs, the increase in cost is a problem that could not beoverlooked.

Network platforms of television stations (for example, China NetworkTelevision (CNTV)) serve to store programs, which have already beenbroadcasted at the stations, on the network platforms in a manner ofwhole or segment, so as to enable users to playback/view on demand theseprograms at any future time. However, in comparison with traditionaltelevision programs, the network platforms do not participate in theinitial gathering and production of the programs. As can be seen fromthis, the network platform of a television station is merely a closedand secondary broadcasting medium of original television programs, andis characterized in its capability to allow the programs alreadyproduced to be played on various types of terminal devices.

In contrast, the IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) broadcast andcontrol platform is an integrated broadcast and control platform of atelevision system for programs already broadcasted by differenttelevision stations, which is capable of integrating and broadcastingprograms already produced by different television stations, so thataudience at different locations can watch more programs. However, thereis not much effect on and change in the production process of programsand watching behaviors of audience. Likewise, it is also a closed andsecondary broadcasting medium.

Moreover, although the currently prevailing video network sites arediversified in terms of forms and channels for content acquisition, theyare still directed to providing of already produced contents (such asmovies and teleplays) and certain video contents as uploaded. There isno online live broadcast and interactive functions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention provide a network-platform basedmethod and a system for collecting, transmitting, editing andintegrating, broadcasting, and receiving one and/or more signals ofmultiple events/multiple programs, which are capable of providing oneand/or more multi-perspective videos of a single event/program forusers' selection, so as to achieve personalized watching effect.

On one hand, embodiments of the present invention provide a method forcollecting, transmitting, editing and integrating, broadcasting, andreceiving signals comprising acquiring one and/or more audio signals andone and/or more video signals for one program collected by one and/ormore audio/video collecting terminals; editing and integrating the oneand/or more audio signals and the one and/or more video signals for theone program on a network platform, and then broadcasting the edited andintegrated signals; and selecting from the one and/or more audio signalsand the one and/or more video signals for the one program at a receivingterminal, and receiving and presenting the selected audio signal andvideo signal.

On the other hand, embodiments of the present invention provide a systemfor collecting, transmitting, editing and integrating, broadcasting, andreceiving signals comprising an audio/video acquiring unit configured toacquire one and/or more audio signals and one and/or more video signalsfor one program collected by one and/or more audio/video collectingterminals; a resource integrating and interacting unit configured toedit and integrate the one and/or more audio signals and the one and/ormore video signals for the one program, and then broadcast the editedand integrated signals; and a receiving unit configured to select fromthe one and/or more audio signals and the one and/or more video signalsfor the one program at a receiving terminal, and receiving andpresenting the selected audio signal and video signal.

The aforementioned technical solutions possess the followingadvantageous effects. Due to the employment of the technical means ofacquiring one and/or more audio signals and one and/or more videosignals for one program collected by one and/or more audio/videocollecting terminals, editing and integrating the one and/or more audiosignals and the one and/or more video signals for the one program on anetwork platform, and then broadcasting the edited and integratedsignals, and selecting from the one and/or more audio signals and theone and/or more video signals for the one program at a receivingterminal, and receiving and presenting the selected audio signal andvideo signal, it is possible to provide one and/or moremulti-perspective videos for users' selection, so as to achievepersonalized watching effect.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to more clearly describe the technical solutions of the priorart or the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings to be usedin the descriptions of the prior art or the embodiments are brieflyintroduced as follows. Obviously, the following drawings just illustratesome embodiments of the present invention, and a person skilled in theart can obtain other drawings from these drawings without paying acreative effort.

FIG. 1 is a flow chart illustrating a method for collecting,transmitting, editing and integrating, broadcasting, and receivingsignals according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of a system forcollecting, transmitting, editing and integrating, broadcasting, andreceiving signals according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of anetwork-platform based system for collecting, transmitting, editing andintegrating, broadcasting, and receiving one and/or more signalsaccording to an application example of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of anaudio/video collecting terminal according to an exemplary application ofthe present invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the modules constituting anaudio/video acquiring unit according to an exemplary application of thepresent invention;

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating the modules constituting aresource integrating and interacting unit according to an exemplaryapplication of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of areceiving unit according to an exemplary application of the presentinvention; and

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating the modules constituting thereceiving unit according to an exemplary application of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention willbe clearly and completely described below with reference to theaccompanying drawings. Apparently, the embodiments described below aremerely some of the possible embodiments of the present invention, ratherthan all of the possible embodiments. All other embodiments obtainableby persons ordinarily skilled in the art without creative effort basedon the embodiments of the present invention shall all fall within theprotection scope of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, which is a flow chart illustrating a method forcollecting, transmitting, editing and integrating, broadcasting, andreceiving signals according to an embodiment of the present invention,the method comprises the following steps:

1. Acquiring one and/or more audio signals and one and/or more videosignals for one program collected by one and/or more audio/videocollecting terminals.

Optionally, the step of acquiring one and/or more audio signals and oneand/or more video signals for one program collected by one and/or moreaudio/video collecting terminals may further comprise collecting oneand/or more audio signals and one and/or more video signals for oneprogram by using one and/or more audio/video collecting terminals;registering the one and/or more audio/video collecting terminals; andacquiring one and/or more audio signals and one and/or more videosignals for the one program collected by the registered one and/or moreaudio/video collecting terminals. The audio/video signals collected byunregistered audio/video collecting terminals can be used as candidatesignals. The method may further comprise transmitting, by eachaudio/video collecting terminal, the collected audio signals and videosignals for the one program to the network platform via a high-speedbroadband transmission network through a high-speed broadband networkcommunication module, so as to make edition and integration. Thehigh-speed broadband transmission network includes one or more of thefollowing network: a television transmission network, atelecommunication transmission network, and an interconnection networkthat includes a 3G network or a 4G network. The above one and/or moreaudio signals may be heard at different positions of a scene. The aboveone and/or more video signals may be viewed at different perspectives ofthe scene.

2. Editing and integrating the one and/or more audio signals and the oneand/or more video signals for the one program on a network platform, andthen broadcasting the edited and integrated signals.

Optionally, said editing and integrating may comprise one or more of thefollowing: registering the audio/video collecting terminals, insertingaudio/video resources, censoring the audio/video resources, monitoringthe audio/video resources, and billing the audio/video resources,wherein inserting audio/video resources is used to insert advertisementsand/or accompanying sound. Said registering in this context is toconfirm the identity of the possessor of the audio/video collectingterminal device, so as to time and bill the broadcast content. At thesame time, the collected content of the possessor of the audio/videocollecting terminal device is recorded in files and evaluated. Withrespect to an occasional collector, the content is firstly put instandby and subsequently registered. The timing and billing of any usedcontent could not be performed without the step of registering of theaudio/video collecting terminal device. The audio signals and videosignals for the one program collected by each audio/video collectingterminal are recorded and selected to acquire usable audio signals andvideo signals for the one program, and the signals are then broadcasted.The audio/video signals collected by unregistered audio/video collectingterminals are treated as candidate signals and are sieved, and theusable audio signals and video signals thereof are then broadcasted.Information about an audio signal and a video signal selected by thereceiving terminal is acquired, and the audio signal and video signalselected by the receiving terminal are timed and billed.

3. Selecting from the one and/or more audio signals and the one and/ormore video signals for the one program at a receiving terminal, andreceiving and presenting the selected one audio signal and one videosignal.

Corresponding to the aforementioned method embodiment, as shown in FIG.2, which is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of a systemfor collecting, transmitting, editing and integrating, broadcasting, andreceiving signals according to an embodiment of the present invention,the system comprises the following components:

-   -   an audio/video acquiring unit 105 configured to acquire one        and/or more audio signals and one and/or more video signals for        the one program collected by one and/or more audio/video        collecting terminals;    -   a resource integrating and interacting unit 108 configured to        edit and integrate the one and/or more audio signals and the one        and/or more video signals for the one program on a network        platform, and then broadcasting the edited and integrated        signals;    -   a receiving unit 114 configured to select from the one and/or        more audio signals and the one and/or more video signals for the        one program at a receiving terminal, and receiving and        presenting the selected one audio signal and one video signal.

The receiving unit 114 further provides a choice for a plurality ofreceiving media, including a television set, a mobile television set, acomputer, a mobile phone, and a smart terminal, etc. It can also takesuch broadcast platforms as an IPTV broadcast and control platform, aCNTV network platform etc. and video network sites as receiving media.Moreover, the broadcast and control systems of various local televisionstations can also be used as the receiving media.

Alternatively, the audio/video acquiring unit 105 is configured tocollect the one and/or more audio signals and the one and/or more videosignals for the one program by using one and/or more audio/videocollecting terminals, and the resource integrating and interacting unit108 is configured to register the one and/or more audio/video collectingterminals, and acquire one and/or more audio signals and one and/or morevideo signals for the one program collected by the registered one and/ormore audio/video collecting terminals.

Alternatively, the audio/video acquiring unit 105 is further configuredto transmit, by means of each audio/video collecting terminal, thecollected one and/or more audio signals and one and/or more videosignals for the one program to a network platform via a high-speedbroadband transmission network through a high-speed broadbandtransmission module, so as to make edition and integration. Thehigh-speed broadband transmission network includes one or more of thefollowing network: a television transmission network, atelecommunication transmission network, and an interconnection networkthat includes a 3G network or a 4G network.

Alternatively, the resource integrating and interacting unit 108 isspecifically configured to edit and integrate one and/or more audiosignals and one and/or more video signals for the one program, includingone or more of the following: registering audio/video collectingterminals, inserting audio/video resources, censoring the audio/videoresources, monitoring the audio/video resources, and billing theaudio/video resources. Inserting audio/video resources is used to insertadvertisements and/or accompanying sound.

Alternatively, the resource integrating and interacting unit 108 isfurther configured to sieve the audio signals and video signals for theone program collected by each registered audio/video collecting terminalto acquire usable audio signals and video signals for the one program,and broadcast the acquired usable audio signals and video signals; treatthe audio/video signals collected by unregistered audio/video collectingterminals as candidate signals and sieve the candidate signals, andbroadcast the usable audio signals and video signals thereof; andacquire information about an audio signal and a video signal selected bythe receiving terminal, and time and bill the audio signal and videosignal selected by the receiving terminal.

As shown in FIG. 3, which is a schematic diagram illustrating theconfiguration of a network-platform based system for collecting,transmitting, editing and integrating, broadcasting, and receiving oneand/or more signals according to an exemplary application of the presentinvention, the system comprises an audio/video acquiring unit 105, aresource integrating and interacting unit 108, and a receiving unit 114.

The audio/video acquiring unit 105 is constituted by a plurality ofaudio/video collecting terminals 101, 102, 103 and a high-speedbroadband transmission network 104, and the operation flow thereofinvolves that the plurality of audio/video collecting terminals 101,102, 103 transmitt the acquired audio and video signals to a high-speedbroadband transmission network 104.

The audio/video collecting terminals 101, 102, 103 are innovativecollecting terminals that are distinctive over currently availablecameras, and are shown in FIG. 4, which is a schematic diagramillustrating the configuration of an audio/video collecting terminalaccording to an exemplary application of the present invention.

Each of the audio/video collecting terminals consists of a currentlyavailable audio/video camera device 201 and a high-speed broadbandnetwork modem 202 (the modem is based on, but not limited to, thecurrently available high-speed broadband network communicationstandards, and it can be upgraded with the development of technologiesand enhancement of standards). After connection of the high-speedbroadband network modem 202 with the audio/video camera device 201, acompletely novel audio/video collecting terminal is formed. Theconfiguration and operation flow of the high-speed broadband networkmodem 202 are as shown in FIG. 5, which is a schematic diagramillustrating the configuration of an audio/video acquiring unitaccording to an exemplary application of the present invention.

The audio/video collecting terminal consists of a collecting unit 314and a communicating unit 315.

The collecting unit 314 includes a camera 301, a display window 302, avideo module 305, an earphone 303, a microphone 304 and an audio module306.

The communicating unit 315 includes an embedded processor 309, ahigh-speed broadband data card 307, a high-speed broadband data cardslot 308, a high-speed broadband communication module 310, atransmission address input keyboard 312 and an access high-speedbroadband transmission network 311.

The operation flow is as follows:

A video signal acquired through the camera 301 and the display window302 enters the video module 305, and an audio signal acquired by theearphone 303 and the microphone 304 enters the audio module 306. At thesame time, the audio and video signals acquired by the video module 305and the audio module 306 are delivered to the embedded processor 309 inthe communicating unit 315; the processed signals are transmitted to theaccess high-speed broadband transmission network 311 according to thestandard provided by the high-speed broadband network communicationmodule 310 and an address inputted by the transmission address inputkeyboard 312. Inside the module, ID identification materials of theaudio/video collecting terminal and the collector are simultaneouslystored in the high-speed broadband data card 307, and an IDidentification system of the terminal can be determined and formed byuse in cooperation with the high-speed broadband data card slot 308,whereby the signal receiver can determine the IDs of the terminal andthe operator based on the ID identification system.

The resource integrating and interacting unit 108 in FIG. 3 consists ofa resource integrating and interacting platform 107 and associatedsoftware 106. The resource integrating and interacting unit 108 receivesaudio/video signals sent from the audio/video acquiring unit 105, andbroadcasts the signals to the receiving unit 114 after integrating.Refer to FIG. 6, which is a schematic diagram illustrating the modulesconsisting the resource integrating and interacting unit according to anexemplary application of the present invention.

The resource integrating and interacting unit includes a resourceintegrating and interacting platform 401, an audio/video input portion402, a registering system 403, edition/production system 404,advertisement insertion and audio/video resources portion 405, a billingsystem 406, a censoring system 407, audience feedback portion 408,accompanying sound insertion portion 409, a broadcast monitoring system410, audio/video branch broadcasting portion 411 and so on. Theoperation flow is as follows.

When the audio/video input portion 402 brings forward a request foraccess, the registering system 403 identifies and confirms the data inthe high-speed broadband data card 307 with respect to the source fromwhich the request comes; after confirmation, censoring is performed bythe censoring system 407; if there is negative information, access willbe denied; if there is no negative information, the resource integratingand interacting platform 401 grants a communication channel to receivethe information. At the same time, the billing system 406 is also turnedon to register/meter/record information including, but not limited to,the source of the signal, the duration of the access, and the number ofuse, etc.

After the signal from the audio/video input portion 402 is received atthe resource integrating and interacting platform 401, the signal isprocessed at the edition/production system 404, and the accompanyingsound insertion portion 409 may be initiated on demand to attach theassociated audio. Upon edition/production, the produced content iscensored at the broadcast monitoring system 410 and then sent to theaudio/video branch broadcasting portion 411 to be broadcasted to thereceiving unit 114.

The edition/production system 404 includes the audio/video resources andadvertisement insertion portion 405.

As shown in FIG. 3, the receiving unit 114 consists of a high-speedbroadband transmission network 113 and various receiving terminals. Thereceiving terminal includes, but is not limited to, a mobile televisionset 109, a television set 110, a computer 111, a mobile phone 112, andso on. Signals broadcasted by the resource integrating and interactingunit 108 are sent to the various receiving terminals of the receivingunit 114 via the high-speed broadband transmission network 113.

As shown in FIG. 7, which is a schematic diagram illustrating theconfiguration of a receiving unit according to an exemplary applicationof the present invention, one and/or more audio and video signals 501from the resource integrating and interacting platform 108 are sent to areceiving interface device 503 via a high-speed broadband transmissionnetwork 502. The receiving interface device 503 is equipped with, inaddition to various functional selection menus provided thereto, oneand/or more audios selection menu 504 and one and/or more videosselection menu 505. The receiving interface device 503 can be remotelyoperated by a remote controller 506. The receiving interface device 503is connected with a display device 507, and the display device 507displays received signals as well as results of the selectionoperations. The receiving interface device 503 and the display device507 constitute the various receiving terminals.

The user of the receiving terminal may, on his own initiative, operateto randomly combine plural videos (namely multi-perspective pictures)and plural audios provided in one channel by the receiving terminal, andfinally make selection and edition to achieve the real-time personalizedreceiving effect.

With the development of technologies and according to specificrequirements, it is possible either to configure the receiving interfacedevice 503 and the display device 507 such that the receiving interfacedevice 503 and the display device 507 may be separate from each otheror, coupled with each other. Alternatively, the receiving interfacedevice 503 may be integrated into the display device 507. No matter howthe receiving interface device 503 and the display device 507 aredisposed, their interrelation is as shown in FIG. 8.

Refer to FIG. 8, which is a schematic diagram illustrating the modulesconstituting a receiving unit according to an exemplary application ofthe present invention. The receiving interface unit 613 includes a videoselection input command 601, an audio selection input command 602, afunctional selection input command 603, an access high-speed broadbandtransmission network 604, a high-speed broadband data card 605, ahigh-speed broadband data card slot 606, an embedded processor 607, anda high-speed broadband network module 608. The display unit 614 consistsof a video module 609, an audio module 610, a video display 611 and aspeaker 612.

The operation flow is as follows. The high-speed broadband data card 605and the card slot 606 constitute an ID identification module of thereceiving terminal. Video selection, audio selection and functionalselection commands are inputted into the embedded processor 607 forselection via the video selection input command 601, the audio selectioninput command 602 and the functional selection input command 603. Theselected audio and video results are displayed and broadcasted by thevideo display 611 and speaker 612 after passing through the video module609 and the audio module 610.

For any television program that is completely broadcasted, there are nomore than three processes including program signal acquisition, programproduction and program reception. In the mode that has been employeduntil the present days, what the audience can watch on the terminaldevice (the television set, as well as the MP4, the mobile televisionset and the mobile phone that have come in vogue only recently) is the(video/audio) program having experienced the production process.Accordingly, on one hand, from the perspective of the audience, it isdifficult to obtain higher satisfaction from the watching experience ofsuch passive reception, and, on the other hand, from the perspective ofthe program producer, it is objectively difficult to satisfy thepersonalization requirements of each person, no matter how rich theexperience and advanced technology functions that an individual or ateam may have.

For this reason, with the development of technologies, especially withthe development of the concept of “Three-in-One Network”, i.e., theintegration of telecommunication, cable and Internet, the technicalsolution involved in the embodiments of the present invention isproposed. The purport to propose the present solution is to provide theaudience with many more and wide-ranging services by means of thetechnologies and to achieve maximum satisfaction from personalizedwatching experience through proactive receiving selections.

Differences of the technical solution according to the present inventionfrom the traditional mode are described below with exemplaryapplications respectively specifying the three aspects of program signalacquisition, program production and program reception.

The Process of Signal Acquisition

Two types of events, namely the live broadcast of a sport competitionand the live report of an unexpected news event, are exemplified belowto describe the functions, advantages and innovative concepts of thesystem according to the present invention.

{circle around (1)} Live Broadcast of Sport Competition

The traditional live broadcast of a sport competition is as follows.Several cameras (either stationary or mobile) are disposed on the spotof the competition to reflect circumstances of the competition (i.e.,the competition itself and the reaction of the audience) from differentangles of view. The plural cameras simultaneously send a plurality ofthe acquired signals to a mobile control room on the spot either wiredlyor wirelessly (by means of microwaves). If there is a commentator on thespot, the voice of the commentator is also synchronously transmitted tothe mobile control room. A program director is dedicated to the spot;plural signals are formed into one signal by switching among the signalsand, in turn, the formed one signal is integrated with the synchronouscommentating audio so as to form one program; the program is transmittedback to the television station via fibers/microwaves/satellite channels,and then is processed by the studio personnel in the television station.If a commentator is located in the studio of the television stationinstead of being on the spot, it is required to synthesize thecommentating audio with images to form the program to be finallybroadcasted. A program formed as thus has the following twodeficiencies.

(1) With respect to the producer, the cost of live broadcast of a sportcompetition is extremely high. Besides the personnel and equipment forphotographing on the spot, it is also needed to equip with a mobilecontrol room, program director and the relevant maintenance personnel.Although a rich variety of on-the-spot signals can be obtained,considering the problem of the cost spent on the transmission lines, itis usually possible only to process plural signals into one signal inthe mobile control room and to transmit the one signal to the televisionstation for standby broadcasting. Thus, many wonderful contents areunquestionably wasted.

(2) With respect to the audience, the audience can only passively watchand listen to the received content. Although there are several camerasto reflect the circumstances on the spot from different angles of view,the level of entertainment of the program merely depends on personalpreferences and technique of the program director. When the completelysynthesized program eventually reaches the audience, it will bedifficult to satisfy the personalized requirements of each viewer.

With respect to the embodiments of the present invention, since thecollecting terminal is provided with a wireless high-speed broadbandaccess terminal on the basis of the conventional collecting terminal andthe wireless high-speed broadband access terminal is capable of directlyaccessing to the high-speed broadband network, it becomes possible todirectly send the acquired signals to the program producing platform(namely the resource integrating and interacting platform) within therange of coverage by the high-speed broadband network. Thus, not onlycan the large equipment such as the mobile control room and the relevantpersonnel be dispensed with and the cost is thus saved during theprocess of live broadcasting, the producing platform can also obtainmuch richer materials before broadcasting.

{circle around (3)} Live Coverage of Unexpected News Event

Insofar as news media is concerned, in case of an unexpected news event,news media are always required to arrive at the spot most quickly,provide complete and vivid pictures of the spot most quickly, andprovide comprehensive, objective and in-depth reports based on theabove, so as to embody news track capacity of the medium. Under currentconditions, such equipments as mobile control room (satellite vehicle)should be equipped therewith in order to report an event in alive-broadcasting style, but, due to restrictions of environments of thescene and the traffic, it is usual that the reporter can personallyarrive but the vehicle and equipment could not arrive. Thus, theaudience can only hear the description of the reporter from the spotabout the scene in the program. Moreover, generally speaking, anunexpected news event will not last long (such as the case of a fireaccident), so if it is only relied upon the reporter to arrive on thespot after he has got the clue, what the reporter can obtain may only bethe results, as it is impossible to obtain first-hand materials of theprocess.

The system according to the present invention can avoid the occurrenceof the aforementioned two limitations.

(1) Since the device is small in size and convenient for carriage, it ispossible for the device to arrive at the place together with thereporter to acquire video and audio materials on the spot.

(2) Due to the development of technologies, with great popularization ofrelevant devices (such as digital cameras), non-media device possessorscan capture unexpected events at any time and share with the public.

The Process of Program Production

Since the system according to the present invention differs from theconvention in terms of program signal acquisition, and alsosignificantly differs from the convention in terms of contents providedto the audience, it makes it different from the convention in terms ofprogram production details. For example:

(1) ID registration and authentication must be performed on programcontent providers, and records and statistics must be carried out forthe materials and time lengths provided by each content provider, aswell as the selection of these contents by audience.

(2) It is normal in the convention to integrate already synthesizedaudio/video signals into one signal for audience to passively receive inone channel. However, it is now possible to send plural videos andplural audios to the same channel in divided branches for audience toactively select, thus achieving the real-time personalized watchingeffect.

The Process of Program Reception

The audience may actively select a video and an audio that may satisfyhis own requirements from plural acquired video and audio materials toform a personalized receiving program on the receiving terminal.

For instance, when a certain channel provides a sport competition, itcan provide not only a traditional, already synthesized, completeprogram, but also provide videos shot from four angles of A, B, C and D,and commentating voice of three different commentators, such as Mr. WANGMr. LI, Mr. ZHANG. As for the audience, they can either receive thecomplete program, or, when they find that the complete program cannotsuit their tastes, they could freely select other perspectives orcommentating voice to form a program that much satisfies his personalrequirements.

In summary, embodiments of the present invention provide across-network, cross-media, novel, open, and interactive platform. Theplatform is different from the traditional television network, and alsodifferent from the currently prevailing pattern whereby televisionprograms are merely played on telecommunication or internet platforms.The platform provides a completely novel watching pattern whereby morepeople can participate in the provision of materials and wherebyaudience can participate in the selection.

The system according to the present invention may consist of threeparts, namely a method for acquiring video and audio signals, a methodfor transmitting and integrating/editing/managing video and audiosignals, and a method for receiving/playing on video and audio signalreceiving and playing terminals. However, the system according to thepresent invention is not merely restricted to the three parts, that is,any of the three parts of the system may be combined with thetraditional mode to form a new system.

Design of the system according to the present invention avoids theaforementioned inevitable restrictions and deficiencies in thetraditional flow by means of “openness”. Firstly, with respect toacquisition of video and audio signals, the system can directly delivervideo and audio signals from the camera device to the high-speedbroadband network. Secondly, with respect to transmission,integration/edition/management of video and audio signals, all signalsenter an open platform through the high-speed broadband network, and theaccessed signals are integrated, edited and broadcasted on the platform.Thirdly, with respect to reception and playing back on video/audiosignal receiving and playing terminals, the system can provide the userswith more multi-perspective and multi-audio signals for the one programfor free selection.

Therefore, it is not difficult to see that the system according to thepresent invention is characterized in the following aspects.

Firstly, with respect to acquisition of video and audio signals, mobilecontrol rooms and studio directors on the spot, as the intermediatelinks, are dispensed with, whereby it is not only possible to greatlysave the cost, but also possible to reduce the difficulties of arrivingat the spot and acquiring signals with respect to the news program, soas to greatly enhance the timely report on unexpected events.

Secondly, the advantage of integrating, editing and broadcasting thedelivered signals on an open platform is that it not only widelybroadens the sources of video and audio signals, but also makes moreeffective use of the materials, to thereby correspondingly reduce thecost. Moreover, since the accessed high-speed broadband network is notlimited to television network, but also includes high-speed internet,high-speed broadband wireless communication networks, or any type of anovel network having sufficient bandwidth and possessing thecharacteristic of high-speed to be formed with the incessant developmentof technologies, the platform has excellent universality andexpandability, and can be accessed to more types of upgraded devicesregardless of whether upstream or downstream.

Thirdly, with respect to audience of the terminal, programs provided bytraditional television are not selectable. Moreover, the interactivetelevision currently increasingly in vogue is merely a “library” patternin which audiences are provided with a program menu and the audiencescustomize programs a la carte. In contrast, the system according to thepresent invention can provide the audience with plural multi-perspectiveand multi-audio signals for the one program, so that the audience canfreely select the angles of view and the audios according to hispreferences, so as to obtain more information and more richlypersonalized watching experiences. At the same time, the watchingexperiences and requirements can also be transmitted back to the openplatform.

In summary, the system according to the present invention aims to createan open, multi-resources, multi-perspective, multi-audios,multi-network-transmissions, multi-types of reception media, video andaudio servicing platform pattern, and anybody can serve as a provider ofvideo and audio information and can also serve as a receiver and user ofthe contents.

Accordingly, the platform created by the system according to the presentinvention is a “transparent” network system as seen from the perspectiveof the users. The system not only reconfigures the video and audiosignals, but also performs optimizing adjustment according to users'requirements, and eliminates collected and edited contents that have noaudience rating, so as to make effective use of the acquired resources.

In addition, the widespread “openness” possessed by the system accordingto the present invention decides that the system is not only applied inthe operating processes of such media as televisions and networks, butis applied with respect to particular fields and under particularenvironments, for instance, such various fields as monitoring andmanagements, accidents disposals, teleconferences/consultations ofdoctors/education, etc.

As should be particularly pointed out, embodiments of the presentinvention differ, as described below, from network platforms oftelevision stations with China Network Television as a representative,IPTV broadcast and control platforms and the commonly existent videonetwork sites.

Network platforms of television stations (for example, China NetworkTelevision (CNTV)) serve to store programs, which have already beenbroadcasted at the stations, on the network platforms in a manner ofwhole or segment, so as to enable users to playback/view on demand theseprograms at any future time. However, in comparison with traditionaltelevision programs, the network platforms do not participate in theinitial gathering and production of the programs. As can be seen fromthis, the network platform of a television station is merely a closedand secondary broadcasting medium of original television programs, andis characterized in its capability to broadcast programs alreadyproduced on various types of terminal devices.

In contrast, the IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) broadcast andcontrol platform is an integrated broadcast and control platform of atelevision system for programs already broadcasted by differenttelevision stations, and is capable of integrating and broadcastingprograms already produced by various different television stations, sothat audience at different regions can view more programs. However,there is not much effect on and change in the production process ofprograms and the watching behaviors of receivers. Likewise, it is also aclosed and secondary broadcasting medium.

Moreover, although the currently prevailing video network sites arediversified in terms of forms and channels for content acquisition, theyare still directed to broadcasting of already produced contents (such asmovies and teleplays) and certain video contents as uploaded. There is adeficiency in online live broadcasting and interactive functionality.

In contrast, embodiments of the present invention is directed to amethod whereby the acquired video and audio signals are transmitted bymeans of a high-speed broadband communication network to a destinationwhere the signals are required, and/or to a video/audio receiving devicecreated by the destination. The method enables a video recording device,under support of a high-speed public communication network and a noveltelevision device, to send video and audio digital signals directly totargets desired by the video recorder, such as different televisionstations, telecommunication or internet network sites, or personalmailboxes or storage spaces established at the network sites, and totransmit the video and audio signals via these media to the receivingdevice terminal. The receiving device can operate and play differentvideos and audios under operations of the audience, so as to achieve thereal effects of responding to and directly broadcasting the signals. Atthe same time, the platform can also record or time the different videosand audios it receives online, and take this as the basis to pay for thevideo/audio recorder. Seen as such, video and audio signals acquired byan open video/audio acquiring terminal are transmitted to a video/audioreceiving terminal through such various transmission networks as, butnot limited to, the “three-in-one network” (namely the televisiontransmission network, the telecommunication transmission network, andthe Internet), are received by the audience in such a manner that thesame program is received according to different angles and requirementsof view, and are charged according to requirements thereafter. Thus, thesystem according to the present invention forms a completely openplatform.

As comprehensible to persons ordinarily skilled in the art, the entireor some steps in the aforementioned method embodiment can be realizedthrough a program that instructs relevant hardware, and the program canbe stored in a computer-readable storage medium, and, when executed,includes the entire or some steps. The storage medium may be an ROM, anRAM, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, etc.

The aforementioned specific embodiments make further and detailedexplanations of the objectives, technical solutions and advantageouseffects of the present invention. As should be understood, the above ismerely directed to the specific embodiments of the present invention,and is not meant to restrict the protection scope of the presentinvention, as any modification, equivalent substitution and improvementmakeable within the spirits and principles of the present inventionshall all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for editing, integrating andbroadcasting signals, comprising: receiving multiple audio signals andmultiple video signals, or one audio signal and multiple video signals,or multiple audio signals and one video signal for a same program; on anetwork platform, selecting, editing and integrating the receivedmultiple audio signals and the multiple video signals, or the one audiosignal and the multiple video signals, or the multiple audio signals andthe one video signal for the same program; and pushing or broadcastingthe selected, edited and integrated multiple audio signals and themultiple video signals, or the one audio signal and the multiple videosignals, or the multiple audio signals and the one video signal for thesame program in a form of multiple audios.
 2. The method for editing,integrating and broadcasting signals according to claim 1, wherein themultiple audio signals and the multiple video signals, or the one audiosignal and the multiple video signals, or the multiple audio signals andthe one video signal for the same program are transmitted fromcollecting terminals.
 3. The method for editing, integrating andbroadcasting signals according to claim 1, wherein the multiple audiosignals and the multiple video signals, or the one audio signal and themultiple video signals, or the multiple audio signals and the one videosignal for the same program are collected initiatively.
 4. The methodfor editing, integrating and broadcasting signals according to claim 1,wherein the multiple audio signals and the multiple video signals, orthe one audio signal and the multiple video signals, or the multipleaudio signals and the one video signal for the same program are editedby a third party.
 5. The method for editing, integrating andbroadcasting signals according to claim 1, wherein the multiple audiosignals and the multiple video signals, or the one audio signal and themultiple video signals, or the multiple audio signals and the one videosignal for the same program are received through a high-speed broadbandnetwork.
 6. The method for editing, integrating and broadcasting signalsaccording to claim 5, wherein the high-speed broadband network comprisesone or more of a television transmission network, a telecommunicationtransmission network, and an internet.
 7. The method for editing,integrating and broadcasting signals according to claim 6, wherein theinternet comprises a 3G mobile communication network, a 4G mobilecommunication network or a 5G mobile communication network.
 8. Themethod for editing, integrating and broadcasting signals according toclaim 1, wherein the selecting, editing and integrating comprises one ormore of collecting terminal signals of audio and video by a third party,inserting audio and video resources, censoring the audio and videoresources, monitoring the audio and video resources, and billing theaudio and video resources, wherein inserting audio and video resourcesfurther comprises inserting advertisements and/or accompanying sound andrelated background data.
 9. The method for editing, integrating andbroadcasting signals according to claim 8, wherein the inserting audioand video resources is inserting advertisements and/or accompanyingsound, wherein the accompanying sound means different languages anddialects.
 10. The method for editing, integrating and broadcastingsignals according to claim 8, wherein the billing comprises: sieving oneor more audio and video signals for the same program pertaining to ateam transmission or an accidental transmission at the receiving end, toacquire and broadcast usable audio signals and video signals for thesame program; and timing and billing the pushed and broadcasted audioand video signals.
 11. The method for editing, integrating andbroadcasting signals according to claim 1, wherein the selected, editedand integrated multiple audio signals and the multiple video signals, orthe one audio signal and the multiple video signals, or the multipleaudio signals and the one video signal for the same program are pushedand broadcasted by using a high-speed broadband transmission network.12. The method for editing, integrating and broadcasting signalsaccording to claim 11, comprising pushing and broadcasting signals to athird party upon demand.
 13. The method for editing, integrating andbroadcasting signals according to claim 11, wherein the high-speedbroadband transmission network comprises one or more of a televisiontransmission network, a telecommunication transmission network, and aninternet.
 14. The method for editing, integrating and broadcastingsignals according to claim 13, wherein the internet comprises a 3Gmobile communication network, a 4G mobile communication network or a 5Gmobile communication network.
 15. The method for editing, integratingand broadcasting signals according to claim 1, further comprising:selectively receiving, by a receiving terminal, the multiple audiosignals and the multiple video signals, or the one audio signal and themultiple video signals, or the multiple audio signals and the one videosignal for the same program.
 16. An apparatus for editing, integratingand broadcasting signals, comprising: an audio and video receiving unitconfigured to receive multiple audio signals and multiple video signals,or one audio signal and multiple video signals, or multiple audiosignals and one video signal for a same program; a selecting, editingand integrating unit configured to select, edit and integrate thereceived multiple audio signals and the multiple video signals, or theone audio signal and the multiple video signals, or the multiple audiosignals and the one video signal for the same program; and a pushing andbroadcasting unit configured to push or broadcast the selected, editedand integrated multiple audio signals and the multiple video signals, orthe one audio signal and the multiple video signals, or the multipleaudio signals and the one video signal for the same program in a form ofmultiple audios.
 17. The apparatus for editing, integrating andbroadcasting signals according to claim 16, wherein the audio and videoreceiving unit is configured to receive the multiple audio signals andthe multiple video signals, or the one audio signal and the multiplevideo signals, or the multiple audio signals and the one video signalfor the same program through a high-speed broadband network.
 18. Theapparatus for editing, integrating and broadcasting signals according toclaim 17, wherein the high-speed broadband network comprises one or moreof a television transmission network, a telecommunication transmissionnetwork, and an internet.
 19. The apparatus for editing, integrating andbroadcasting signals according to claim 18, wherein the internetcomprises a 3G mobile communication network, a 4G mobile communicationnetwork or a 5G mobile communication network.
 20. The apparatus forediting, integrating and broadcasting signals according to claim 16,wherein the selecting, editing and integrating unit is furtherconfigured to sieve one or more audio and video signals for the sameprogram pertaining to a team transmission or an accidental transmissionat the receiving end, to acquire and broadcast usable audio signals andvideo signals for the same program; and time and bill the pushed andbroadcasted audio and video signals.
 21. The apparatus for editing,integrating and broadcasting signals according to claim 20, wherein thepushing and broadcasting unit is further configured to push andbroadcast the selected, edited and integrated multiple audio signals andthe multiple video signals, or the one audio signal and the multiplevideo signals, or the multiple audio signals and the one video signalfor the same program by using a high-speed broadband transmissionnetwork.
 22. The apparatus for editing, integrating and broadcastingsignals according to claim 21, comprising pushing and broadcastingsignals to a third party upon demand.
 23. The apparatus for editing,integrating and broadcasting signals according to claim 21, wherein thehigh-speed broadband transmission network comprises one or more of atelevision transmission network, a telecommunication transmissionnetwork, and an internet.
 24. The apparatus for editing, integrating andbroadcasting signals according to claim 23, wherein the interconnectionnetwork comprises a 3G mobile communication network, a 4G mobilecommunication network or a 5G mobile communication network.